Dive Hood Issues

[Ryan Neely]

I live in northern Minnesota where the water temperatures typically hover around 56° at the first thermocline. I'm just over a year into my life as a diver and have just over 70 dives logged (30 of those in local waters), all of them in a 5mm wetsuit and a 7/4mm hood.

I've never liked my dive hood. It keeps my head warm, but from the beginning it suctioned to my ears in such a way that it made equalizing difficult and hearing anything more than my own bubbles impossible. To alleviate these problems, I did what many here have done and suggested: I made a tiny hole in the hood about where my ears would be.

This helped with equalizing and being better able to hear things around me, and for a while I had no complaints.

On my a couple of my most recent dives, however, I have noticed cold water rushing into my ears whenever I turn my head to look behind me or to look up. The temperature difference replicates a little stabbing feeling in my ear which goes away quickly (as soon as the water warms up) but is uncomfortable.

We hope to transition into drysuit diving next year, so I'm conducting research on equipment to make sure I buy exactly what will work for me. (Buy cheap, buy twice and all that.)

Has anyone else experienced these issues with their dive hood? Do you have suggestions for eliminating them? Specific techniques or products that help?

Thanks in advance!

 

[BjörnBear]

I've always just let a little water into the hood at the surface before the dive. Just pull the hood away from your cheeks a little, and let just enough water in that you can feel it enter your ear canal. The water will warm up same as the rest of what's trapped between your skin and the suit, so no stinging cold.

Of course, if you already have holes in your hood, I'm not sure this will work...

 

[HKGuns]

I use this one with my dry suit, but it may come down to proper fit of the hood of your choice.

H1 5/10mm - Waterproof Diving

ETA: I don't have the issue you describe with this hood and it is a little large, if anything, on my head if I compare it to my lighter hoods.

 

[Colliam7]

I'm just over a year into my life as a diver and have just over 70 dives logged (30 of those in local waters), all of them in a 5mm wetsuit and a 7/4mm hood. . . . I've never liked my dive hood. It keeps my head warm, but from the beginning it suctioned to my ears in such a way that it made equalizing difficult and hearing anything more than my own bubbles impossible. To alleviate these problems, I did what many here have done and suggested: I made a tiny hole in the hood about where my ears would be. . . . This helped with equalizing and being better able to hear things around me, and for a while I had no complaints. . . . On my a couple of my most recent dives, however, I have noticed cold water rushing into my ears whenever I turn my head to look behind me or to look up. . . . Has anyone else experienced these issues with their dive hood? Do you have suggestions for eliminating them? Specific techniques or products that help?

Letting water get inside the hood at the beginning of the dive, as already mentioned, is my recommendation. I do the same. Cold at first, of course, but, it warms up quickly. Doing so is not unlike filling a wetsuit with water at the beginning of a dive. Cold at first, but much more comfortable fit during the dive.

Fit is everything in a hood, and fit varies, CONSIDERABLY, across brands and models. And, sometimes you need to try 3, 4, maybe even 5 hoods until you find the one that fits YOU. I realize that is not entirely a reassuring answer, but it is nonetheless true. I have a box with a number of 'good' hoods - a XL AquaLock 5mm, a XXL Waterproof H1 5/10, etc. - which I don't use because they just don't fit 'right'. I am using a Bare hood now that comes as close to perfect as I can find. Trial and error led me to it.

I do not have any trouble with my hood affecting my ability to equalize. In my case, I have trouble finding a hood that fits my head properly but does not cause carotid compression because of a tight fitting neck.

 

[Esprise Me]

I wonder if something like a Lavacore hooded vest might help. There are a couple brands of non-neoprene neutrally buoyant thermal protection that add the warmth equivalent of about 1-2mm but don't create a seal; instead they just hold the water next to your skin so it doesn't circulate. I use a Sharkskin jacket under my wetsuit, which is a little too big on top and allows some water to flush in, and it makes a big difference.

 

[TMHeimer]

I have no problems with my hood, but agree about water in the ears. It also happens to me if I quickly turn my head, especially when donning my fins in water. I am prone to swimmer's ear, so after each dive day I use ear drops (after Q-Tipping them, which I know many will say bad, but I'm 66 and done that all my life). With the ear drops I almost never get any swimmer's ear.
If I manage to get water in there and am still on the surface, I'll open my hood & shake to get it out (again, maybe not the most popular thing to do).

 

[Brett Hatch]

Fit is the most important thing when it comes to exposure gear. If you can't find a hood that fits perfectly, consider having a custom hood made. They're not much more expensive than an off-the-shelf one. I don't live anywhere near northern Minnesota so can't make a recommendation, but maybe ask around at the local dive shop.

 

[John C. Ratliff]

I really have not had that problem, and I've been diving a very long time, with a variety of wet suit hoods. I've also diver the old Aquala dry suit. M y recommendation is to plug those holes (you really don't want cold water to enter, especially to your ear. I wear a number of masks, but like the ones without a purge valve best. Then, be sipure. Your mask is under your hood's thin skirt. With this arrangement, you can blow air from your nose, past the mask skirt and into the hood. This is how the ol' time vintage divers equalized their sheet rubber dry suits prior to our push button ear. My hoops also has a one-way mushroom valve on top to let any excess air out of the hood.

SeaRat